Some owners of the 2010 Lexus HS 250h will find an unfortunate notice in their mailboxes next month.

Lexus has issued a recall of the hybrid car over the hybrid system, which can potentially fail altogether.

If an affected HS 250h's hybrid system does go kaput, the luxury brand says power steering and brake assist functions will work normally, but the system's shutdown increases the risk of a crash at higher speeds.

This latest issue marks the seventh time Lexus has recalled the HS 250h since 2010.

Lexus says 18,000 HS 250h hybrids will need a completely new hybrid system, which will be installed free of charge at Lexus dealerships.

The recall stems from a manufacturing issue in the transaxle assembly, which may cause components to wear out and lead to a potential short circuit. Owners who experience the issue will notice warning lights and messages on the dashboard accompanied by a fail-safe mode. If the Lexus HS 250h enters fail-safe mode, the car will exhibit reduced power and can only be driven for a short distance to move it to safety.

By that, we mean it was the first hybrid car to boast unique styling not shared with a conventional gasoline model.

When we drove the small hybrid car, we found it rather harsh and unrefined for a Lexus vehicle; the engine, in particular, was not a bright spot. It also managed significantly worse fuel economy than the Toyota Prius.

At the time, the Prius returned an EPA-estimated 50 mpg; the HS 250h returned an EPA-estimated 35 mpg and weighed significantly more than Toyota's banner hybrid vehicle.

The HS 250h remained on sale for three model years (2010-2012) but left Lexus' lineup for 2013 after the LS 300h replaced it. Since its departure, most of the entry-level hybrid sedan's recalls surround rear suspension issues, many of which could result in suspension failure altogether.